Loose-leaf binder



I77 veniar Zelda's UQMM Patehted July 20, 1920.

J o a 1 -Jz 4 2 V A W J1 m L J 3 4 f y J R. LEWIS- LOUSE LEAF BINDER. APPLICATION FILED 001,30. 19m. 1,347,342". Q

- fzia' marweys L. R. LEWIS.

LOOSE LEAF BINDER. APP'UC'AT|0N FILED ocT. 30. i919.

Patented July 20, 1920..

2 SHEEISSHEEI 2. ,2 e7.

J7? vewi'o? e0 1?. la 69 V f 7Zl' 5" PATENT OFFICE.

i UNITED STATES LEO R. LEWIS, OF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

To all whom it may concern: 7

Be it known that I, Lno R. Lnwrs, a citi- Zen of the United States, and resident of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Loose -Leaf Binders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a loose leaf binder or folder, and its object is to provide a simple, durable, efficient and inexpensive binder, which may serve either as a temporary or permanent binder for leaves,

' sheets, pamphlets or the like, and which will be easy to manipulate and of convenient form to handle whether used individually, or in a file or stack' with other similar binders. v

' Certain embodiments of the invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

in which.-

Figure 1 is an elevation, with oneof the covers broken away,show1ng abinder embodying my'invention, the covers being of 'light cardboard, or other flexible. material;

Fig. 2. is a cross section, broken away, on

line 22 of Fig. 1, showing one of the tabs holding a number of. leaves in the binder;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of abinder having outside 'cover'strips covering the back and straps;

F 1g. 4 1s a cross SOtlOIl, broken away, on

the line 4.4:0f Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a cross section, broken-away,

similar to Fig. 2 but showing thebinder adjusted to a: larger number of inserted leaves; 1

- Fig. 6 is a cross section, broken away,

showing a'modification of the binder having covers of heavy, stiff cardboard or the like attached to theba'ck;

Fig. 7 is an elevation, with one ofthe covers opened and broken away, of one side of a binderIemployinga tape as a fastener 45 instead of 'ametal fastener; and v V i Fig.' Sis an elevation .with' one of the covers opened and broken away, of the reverse side of the binder shown in Fig. 7 showing the method of fastening the ends of the. tape."

Referring, first tothe forms shown in Figs. 1, 2,3,4, and 5 of the drawings, 1

' designates the covers of the hinder or folder, 2 and 2 the back,on which the two' covers 1, 1,

are folded- These-parts, in the form now being described, are made of a single, inte- Specification of Letters Patent. Patent d J l 20 1920 Application filed October 30, .1919.

Serial No. 334,410.

gral sheet of paper, light cardboard, or other thin flexible material, folded-upon itself. In the region of the binding edge are a number of pairs of longitudinal slots 5, the two slots of each pair being disposed on opposite sides of the fold or middle of back 2. Two such pairs of slots 5 are shown in the drawings, but it will be understood that ,a single pair or more than two pairs of slots free ends extending through the slots to the inside of the binder. The leaves 7 to be bound in the binder are fastened between the ends of the straps 8 by suitable fasten 'ing means such as metal staples or paper fasteners 12 which pass through perforations 10 in the free ends of the straps and holes 11 in thesheets or leaves to be bound. v:Ihe fasteners 12 may be of usual form havmg a head at-one end and prongs or shanks adapted to be bent and upset on the outer side of the strap end. One or both of the free ends of the straps may be provided .with a series of perforations 12, so that the straps, which are loosely. and adj ustably held 1n slots 5wi1l accommodate a larger or smaller pack of leaves by shifting the fastener from one perforation to another. In-

stead of providing both ends of the strap 8 with a series of perforations, one end may have a single perforation and the other end .a number of perforations, in which case the entire adjustment may be made at one'end of the strap; or only a single perforation may be provided in each end of the straps,

and, for the convenience of the user, suitably spaced spots may be marked for making other perforations to accommodate packs of inserted'leaves of various thicknesses. The last mentioned arrangement has advantages especially when the binder is to be used for a gradually growing pack of leaves, since the original perforations may be placed for binding a single leaf or a, small number of leaves, and therefore in assembling the first leaves the user will not place the fastener in the Wrong perforations as he might do if a number were. punched out. The correct position of other perforations may be printed or otherwise indicated on the strap, and the user can'punch the perforations out, and correspondingly adjust the fastener, as the pack of'leaves grows.

Inthe simple form of bindershown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the straps 8, extending around the outside of back 2,.are exposed to view, which is in most cases wholly unobjectionable, and in many cases may be an advantage because they can be madeof colors contrasting with the cover and so be used as signals, or for classification purposes, when a number of binders are filed together. If it is desired to cover the straps, either for the purposes of appearances, or

- to protect them from in ury, an outside cover strip 1 1 (Figs. 3 and l) of paper, textile fabric, or other flexible, sheet material, may be fastened, as by cementing, to the covers 1, 1, and back 2, the area within linesy-y being left uncemented so that the straps S will be free for adjustment lengthwisethrough the slots 5. A

Instead of metal fasteners 12, other means may be used for fastening'the leaves to the ends of the straps. For example, in'Figs.

. 7 and 8 I have shown a flexible tape or] cord 13 which extendsbetween the perforations of two strap ends with its ends fthreaded V through the strap ends and the punchings of the leaves, and hitched around the free ends of the straps as shown in Fig. 8.

' Fig. 6 illustrates the invention as embodied in a binder made with stiff covers 1, of heavy cardboard, orother similar material such 'as is used in ordinary bound books. The covers are attached to afleXible back 2, similar to the back part shown in the other figures, provided with slots 5 throughwhich the straps 8 extend. If deslred an outside cover strip 15 may be employed for covering and protectin the straps 8, secured tothe covers l -and a? back 2, unattached to the straps 8 which are left free for adjustment through [the slots.

The covers '1 and straps 8 maybe made of various colors, so that by combining different colors according to some arbitrary, pre

determined plan, an almost endlessnum'ber of combinations of colors may be made suitable for classifying the subjects matter of material filed inthe binders.

Y In operation thefasteners 12 or 18 are unfastened from the straps'8. previously inserted through the slots 5, and; leaves 7, having openings therein adapted to register with the openings '10 of the straps8, are

6 placed between the ends of the straps 8,

through andthe leaves are thereby fastened and the fasteners 12 are inserted therebetween the ends of straps 8. As the leaves 7'increase in number it will be necessary to unfasten the straps 8, insert the new leaves andbrmg into operatlve position the proper getherwith the fasteners. is repeated as may be required until the caable lengthwise; bindereomprising two cooperating openings 10 the endsof the straps and fasten the cooperating parts to- This operation pacity of'the binder has been reached. It

is evident,- therefore, that efficient meansis provided for quickly and securely binding between the covers of a binder looseleaves, such as sheet music or other leaves of a similar nature, j; combined with means for readily removing the leaves when desired.

The, present invention provides a novelloose-leaf folder and light binder, suitable for correspondence, estimates, legal papers, notes, music, etc, which will alwayslie flat,

and smooth; which has no rods, rings,

springs or the like commonly found intern porary binders; which is ln'expensive to make, and maybeflexible or stlff as desired; which may be reversed inside out,

and is equally" acceptable if turned top for bottom or back for front; and which may be'filed in a vertical filing systeinwith the" a strap of" flat, flexible material extending over the outside of the'binder. between the.

slots with its" free ends extending through said slots to the inside of" the binder, said free ends being perforated to receive fastentened between the. ends of the strap.

'ing means by which loose leaves may be fas- 3.. A loose-leafbinder' having a: pair of 7 slots in the region ofits binding edge, and a a strap "of flat, flexible material extending over the outside of the binder between the slots with its free ends extending through said slots to theinside of the binder, one at least of'said'freeends having a series of perforations adapted to receiveadjustable fasteningfmeans for fastening loose leavesbetween the ends ofthe strap. v

4:- A loose-leaf binder having a pair of slots in the region of its binding edge, and a-strap of {flat}; flexible material extending over the outside ofthe'binder'between the slots with its'free ends extending through said slotsto the inside of the blnder, said strap being loose in saidslots andfadjust- 5. A loose-leaf covers and a back and having a pair of slotsin the region of itsbinding edge, the covers being hinged to the back on a line substantially in alinement w th the slots,

and a strap of fiat, flexibl'e material extend ing over the outside of the binder between over the outside of the binder between the slots with its free ends extending'through said slots to the inside of the binder, and a pack of leaves fastened between the ends of said strap.

7. A loose-leaf binder made of an integral piece of sheet material folded on itself to form two covers and a flexible back and having a pair of slots in the region of its binding edge, and a strap of flat, flexible material extending over the outside of the back between the slots with its free ends extending through said slots to the inside of the binder.

8. A looseleaf binder made of an integral piece of sheet material folded on the slots with its free ends extending through said slots to the inside of the binder.

9. A loose-leaf binder made of an integral piece of sheet material folded on itself to form two covers and a flexible back and having a pair of slots in the region of its binding edge, and a strap of flat, flexible material extending over the outside of the back between the slots with its free ends extending through said slots to the inside of the binder, an d a pack of leaves fastened between the ends of said strap.

10. A loose leaf binder having a pair of slots in the region of its binding edge, a strap of flat, flexible material extending over the outside of the binder between the slots with its free ends extending through said slots to the inside of the binder, leaves held in the binder by the free ends of said straps, and a flexible tape or cord to fasten the leaves passing through the straps and having one end' at least hitched around the free end of a strap.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this th day of October, 1919.

LEO R. LEWIS. 

